Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-19
THROUGH THE NEW SOUTH.
To California by Way Of Mexico.
ACTIVITY IN Observation-Disclosures COAL,
IRON AND REAL EsTATE-NEw ORLEANS AND THE
SUGAR REGION.
Of THE EVENING STAR.


Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
DEL Rio, TEXAS FEB. II, 1887.
At Cincinnati we joined our company Of sixty
excurOnist en- route to California via the city OF
Mexico and forty-one more who are to leave US at
Ell Paso and go direct to Southern California At
O'Clock February I'd our party left Cincinnati 1n
seven Pullman coaches with hotel car A day
and night bring us into Chattanooga-with its
iron mills its blast furnaces its cotton factories
its building activities and its numerous trunk
railway lines. Here we meet An air Of go-ahead-
auveness that equals that OF any northern city.
Spending the day in this growing center our
whole party are driven to the highest pinnacle OF
Look Out mountain.
Our next stop was made at Birmingham,
THE GIANT CITY OF THE NEW SOUTH.
Twelve years ago the single representative Of this
busting town OF &c. 600 was one solitary southern
ante-bellum mansion, which is still standing, a
shabby genteel monument Of the dead past. This
city, and indeed the whole state OF Alabama, has
grasped warmly the hand OF every northern capt.
tal1st and the qutckening influence OF this kindly
spirit has enriched every enterprise
There are 8, $40 miles OF railways In the state
and three OF the leading trunk lines pass through
Birmingham, and three more lines will soon be
completed to this young P1ttsburg Of the south
The secret OF the rapid growth OF Birmingham was
my question as to where do these smoking fur
naceS get their coal limestone and iron ore. "Oh, {"
said he "them mountains there is full of it," In
1881 the total output or coal was 10 600 tons and
In 1885 it was nearly 1900, 600 tons. It Is no
wonder that such immense furnaces have sprung
up here when 1t is stated that all the material
needed in the manufacture OF iron is found in m
exhaustible quantities within six miles of the city
and coal costs only 20 per ton and the best OF
s snasss s at
lessons, and we unlearned some that we
had learned before: We had come to
KpySfnn0 state
an exclusive monopoly OF the iron trade, but with
the superior facilities here found it needs no
veloping Of the mineral resources OF these vast
mountain ranges is certain to rob the state of
Pennsylvania Of me daurels she has hitherto 80
markable; the universal Yankee finding a good
thing here is working 1t for all It is worth. In
with plat in hand were trying to induce the new
Corners to think that the lots they offered were
dog cheap and fortunes awaited every lucky pur-
chaser. outside the city where the foot OF the
whiteman has rarely trodden the price Of land is
higher than the children OF to-day win see it nifty
The citizens Of Tuscaloosa having invited our
party to accept the Inequalities OF the city we
were met at the depot by large cOncOurse OF citt-
Wah ee Of
our party, after which we were driven through the
city to the three colleges and the state insane
cotton factory and other points OF interest. Re
turninp to the depot our train moved OF amid the
ringing cheers OF the warm-hearted denizens OF
Tuscaloosa
sOj0urn OF
THREE DAYS m NEW ORLEANS
satisfied our entire party that its sanitary condi-
ton would be greatly improved by putting Ben
Butler once more In charge OF its dirty streets.
The St. Charles hotel Is more noted for its name
than tor ITS table, and the meals are not to be COM
pared with those served every day to the members
Of our party In our hotel Car.
Leaving the Crescent city we cross the river BY
ferry and ind our seven new pullmans in waiting
at Hlgfers and we leave via the eSunset route" on
our Journey through the great sugar producing re-
miles Is dead level The sot, black vegetable
mould produces enormous crops OF sugar cane.
cotton and other cereals. The tall chimneys OF
the sugar mills the stately homes OF the planters
and the numerous houses OF the employees are con-
stantly brought into view from the windows OF
our passing train. O. r. r.